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Saturday, February 2, 2008

Off Kilter

It has been a while since my last post...things have been "off kilter" around here. Especially in the area of homemaking. I do office/financial work and at the end of the year there is so much to get prepared. Things got really busy.

Around the house, the workload stayed busy, but my energy level dropped! For a few days (weeks!), the tasks I usually enjoyed became burdensome and irritating. What I once embraced with joy, was now an imposition and chore to get done, things like cooking, cleaning, laundry etc. I couldn't put me finger on it until I read a devotion that put me back on track, see, I was "off kilter".

Early in our marriage it was agreed upon that when we had young children, I would be a stay at home mom (SAHM). With our oldest sons, I was blessed to do that. Then I went to work for a few years and then became pregnant again. I was blessed to take another stint at home. Now that our youngest is in school, I work a part time job, but consider my career - my family and home. That is where my energy and time need to be spent most - at home. This surely consists of mudane tasks, over and over with not much recognition or gratitude shown from others. This week my outside job overcame my real job which is caring for my family and it threw me and the household "off kilter".

The following devotion put into persepective the fact that women are to be the keepers of the home and it is hard work. It is putting others before ourselves and it takes trusting the Lord to help with each task. But if we could get a glimpse of how important it is to care for our family and home and the lasting legacy our touch leaves for our family..it turns into a joy to cook, clean etc. So, here is the devotion, I hope that it blesses you as much as is blessed me!His Narrow Way

"At its heart, homemaking is about accepting God’s Word and laying down our lives for the brethren. It is about keeping our eyes firmly upon Christ, Who calls us to serve Him in the seemingly insignificant tasks of everyday living, training the next generation, reaching out to the needy, demonstrating hospitality to saints and strangers, and living for Christ’s "well done" rather than for the praise and recognition of others.

And that’s the secret to a happy and blessed life. Die to live. Go last to be first. Give to receive. Make yourself least to be greatest. Homemakers? God created women to fulfill this unique role. That’s all we need to know to rest in our callings. We can trust Him to conquer the world, one heart at a time, as we live sacrificially and rejoice in His narrow way."

(Excerpt by Jennie Chancey, from the book "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God")

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